Lipstick Week Day 6 — All About Chanel Lipsticks

Double Cs

Moving up the price ladder, I’m featuring a few Chanel lipsticks for Day 6 of Lipstick Week. My first encounter with Chanel was however, not through one of their beautifully-formulated lipsticks but through one of their deliciousJoues Contraste blushes. It took me quite a while to try out a tube because I was quite overwhelmed by the different formulations and shades. It was like picking my first MAC lipstick all over again!

Chanel has 5 different formulations —Rouge Coco Shine, RougeCoco, Rouge AllureLuminous Satin, Rouge AllureLuminous Intense, Rouge AllureVelvet. Now, coming from a MAC perspective where their formulations are pretty en pointe one-word descriptions — Lustre, Cremesheen, Matte, Satin, Amplified — I was a bit confused regarding Chanel’s ornate, not to mention wordy, labels. It didn’t help reading Chanel’s official descriptions either because it was as if they were telling a fairy tale and not talking about tubes of lipsticks.

So for the decision-making process in picking my first few Chanels (bought on separate occasions and not on one go), I decided to overlook formulation and focus on colors instead. Wrong move! Because look where it got me…

An affirmation of how I subconsciously gravitate towards anything pink. Rouge Coco Shine in Monte Carlo (back, left) is the only non-pink among the bunch and my mom had to convince me to choose that instead of another pink-ish hue, Boy. I can’t help it.

An attempt on differentiating the Chanel formulations based on my experience..

Rouge Coco Shine : Think Revlon Lip Butter in a more luxurious packaging. If you’ve tried Dior Addict, this is very similar to that as well. It’s a super sheer lipstick (I don’t even feel right calling it a lipstick) that isn’t sticky but glides smoothly on the lips like lipbalm. In short, tinted lip balm. Although I love that I feel like my lips are moisturized when I put this on, I find it too sheer for my liking. Also pricey for what it essentially is.

Rouge Coco : A supposedly hydrating, satin lipstick that delivers smooth, pigmented color in one swipe. I’m quite blown away by this formula, to be honest. I didn’t expect it to be this pigmented yet completely lightweight. Rich, but not creamy. Bottom line: now this is how you make a lipstick. Most forgiving on my lips, which makes it an instant favorite for me.

Rouge Allure Luminous Intense : Bold color, slightly glossy finish sans shimmer. It’s a creamier, more intense version of Rouge Coco. Long-lasting, leaves a nice stain when the slight gloss has died out. It’s a cross between Rouge Coco and the next one, Rouge Allure Velvet. It starts out as the former, packed with a punch of color accompanied by a bit of shine slash gloss, but eventually dries down as the latter (which I will talk about next). I don’t like that it emphasizes the lines on my lips.

Rouge Allure Velvet Luminous Matte : Chanel’s take on matte. Luminousmatte – there goes Chanel again with what seems like an ironic match made in lipstick heaven. What this means essentially is that even though it’s velvety and silky smooth, it has an oh-so-subtle sheen preventing it from being a drag queen of lipstick (ehem*Ruby Woo*ehem). Swiping this matte baby on is such a treat because it glides like none other. Personally, this is my favorite formula among the four (but Rouge Coco is also a contender). It’s the closest I have to almost nothing on. Seriously kept on checking the mirror just to see if I needed retouching already — that’s how lightweight this champ is. It also lasts extra long because it clings like a lip stain when the slight sheen dies down.

Swatches

Ranking the formulas in most to least favorite — Rouge Allure Velvet / Rouge Coco (it’s a tie between the two, I can’t seem to decide), Rouge Allure Luminous Intense and Rouge Coco Shine. I’ve heard some people have drying issues with Rouge Allure Velvet but comparing these to my MAC mattes, heck these may even be moisturizing (although they’re not, just really lightweight and non-dehydrating).

In terms of color, I hope the swatches above sort of help you. Raffinee is a dusty rose, Seduisante is a light-medium pink, Exaltee is an intense fuschia, Le Baiser is a pink grapefruit and Monte Carlo is a sheer pinky red. Face swatches after the jump to avoid spamming my homepage with so much selfies.

PS — Eek, this is my 100th post! Can’t believe it. I have to do a giveaway soon! Moving on now…

In Summary

My ultimate favorite in terms of color would have to be Seduisante. It’s what I wanted Creme Cup or Angel to look like on me with a more forgiving formula. Exaltee is a close second because I find the fuschia wearable, unlike MAC’s fuschias that are bolder, brighter and more ‘out there’. Raffinee is an everyday, casual color that pulls an MLBB on me, which I did not expect but am quite happy that it does.

In terms of formula, you can see that Rouge Coco in Le Baiser makes my lips look extra smooth! What dryness? What lip lines? Quite impressive, if I must say so myself. Down side is it doesn’t last long, probably only 3 hours tops. But hey, if it makes my parched lips look this smooth without being sticky, greasy or extra-balmy, I won’t mind the constant need for touch-ups. However, I am just too impressed by how Rouge Allure Velvet feels on the lips — like nothing! I proclaim a tie.

Final Thoughts

My stance on luxury lipsticks is this — find a formula that you can not experience with cheaper lipsticks and look for a shade that looks great on you. Go for formula, not color. Because surely, there are a lot of shades that drugstore, high-street and luxury brands have in common, the key differenting factor is formula (wear-time included).

While I think that you absolutely do not need a Chanel lipstick, it’s great to have one in your stash for a night out, a special occasion or just an instant pick-me-upper (or maybe that’s just me enjoying the magnetic click clacks and push-to-open mechanisms!). The packaging is just so sleek, classic yet with a touch of innovation that I think 80% of my final decision was based on that.

While there’s no way I’m climbing the lipstick ladder anytime soon, Guerlain and Tom Ford at Php2500 a tube, I’m interested to hear your thoughts on high-end lipsticks!

Price & Where to BuyPhp1650-Php1750 in Rustan’s Makati, Shangri-La, Alabang
Also available at Nordstrom.com

47 Comments

I definitely agree that you can find amazing lipsticks and lip products everywhere with good searching but I’d love a chanel or two in my stash next time for those special nights out! I love the hot pink and pale pink shades on you!

Seduisante is my favourite on you too! Super pretty 🙂 I don’t have any Chanel lipsticks but they are tempting, mainly for the packaging (like most high end lipsticks). Good advice about picking the formula!

I’ve only ever owned two Chanel lipsticks and ended up selling them both! The first one didn’t suit me and the second one (Chance, Coco Shine), the quality was absolutely fantastic but I didn’t love it! I really want to find one that I fall in love with though!

Whoa this is great post! I really like how Raffinee looks on you! And your descriptions of rouge coco and rouge allure are really tempting me to gout and get some! I don’t think I’ve tried anything from those lines yet!

Dropping by again dear Shari!I wish to invite you and hope you can join / support my ongoing giveaway from a new sponsor. Would really appreciate your support and participation! (^_^) Thanks a lot my dear! This goes for everyone too! *wink*

Hi, I found your blog interesting. I wish I had looked it up before buying my lipstick, but as it happens I am happy with the one I bought :). I bought Chanel’s Allure Velvet Luminous, which I was matching up to an older lipstick. In the tube it looked like a darker version of my original lipstick, but on the lips it has a more intense firey colour. I literally only dab it on my lips, as it packs such a punch! I was advised to use a lip balm underneath if I found it too matte, as this would make it more like Rouge Coco. It is a tad drying on my lips, so balm helps. I only buy one lippy every two or more years, so Chanel is a good investment for me, as I love the packaging (!!) and I find the formular good.

Hi Louise, what shade did you get if I may ask? What I do for super pigmented and bright lipsticks is blot with paper towel after layering one swipe. Also, Rouge coco is more moisturizing, I agree. Ive only 1 though and its more hydrating than Velvet.
Do agree with you on packaging and formula, though. Just have to find the perfect color! 🙂

I would say one of my favorite things about Chanel is how it lasts years… without a change in consistency if stored properly. It really is a luxurious piece of lipstick but well worth it especially if you buy lipstick every two years 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Louise! Hope to see more of you here soon 🙂 I’d love to hear your thoughts more.